Kyle Whittingham would have bet his house.
The University of Utah football coach has said he felt so confident that, after his decision to call a timeout on Washington’s final drive, the Huskies would not be able to put together a game-winning drive, that he would have wagered the very roof over his head.
Sound crazy?
On this week’s episode of Game of Throws, the Tribune’s Utah football podcast, columnist Gordon Monson joins us to discuss something he thinks would be even crazier: firing Whittingham, who has helped usher the Utes from the Mountain West to the Pac-12.
3:15 — When you’re taking a multiple choice test, you should usually stick with your first instinct. Monson’s initial thoughts when Whittingham called timeout? “What the hell just happened?” But he also has to give the coach credit for the aggressive play calling that had the Utes playing for a win in a game few thought they had a chance in.
At 8:45 — Upset by the timeout call and another loss in a close game, some fans have called for Utah to move on from Whittingham as coach. Monson wrote this week that he doesn’t agree with that. He explains his thinking more here, expounds on Whittingham’s legacy and makes some predictions for his future as Utah’s head coach.
At 20:00 — Has Troy Taylor done enough to be back next season? Monson argues with himself over the question at times, but ultimately believes the offensive coordinator should get another year to improve.
At 23:23 — The Utes have one more game, one more chance to get bowl eligible. They’re 10.5-point favorites over Colorado. But, as Kamrani says, “this game is wacky.”
You can listen to the podcast on iTunes.
Or on SoundCloud.
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